An optical fiber terminus commonly includes a terminus body with a shaft that holds a helical spring. Front and rear shoulders prevent loss of the spring, the rear shoulder being formed at the front surface of a rear flange. When mounted in a connector, the shaft is moved through a slot in a retaining plate, and thereafter the rear of the spring presses against a flat surface on the retaining plate. However, prior to mounting the terminus body, a manufacturer of the terminus body places the spring on the body to provide a unit ready for use by a buyer who will mount an optical fiber in the terminus, mount the terminus on the retaining plate, and install termini into a housing. The body must be constructed to hold the helical spring in place until it is mounted in an optical connector.
It can be a challenge to mount a helical spring on a shaft with shoulders at its opposite ends that retain the spring on the shaft. Previously, applicant constructed the shaft in two separate parts, with one part that forms the rear shoulder, being fixed to the rest of the body only after the spring was placed on the shaft. It would be possible to use a rear flange with a diameter only slightly greater than that of the shaft and to force the spring forwardly over the rear flange onto the shaft. However, this could result in the loss of the spring if it were pushed rearwardly off the flange. Also, the rear flange has an additional function of serving to mount the rear of the body onto a retaining plate, and for this purpose the flange should have a considerably greater outside diameter than the shaft. A one-piece terminus body that allowed mounting of a helical spring on the shaft that lies between the front and rear flanges while permitting a rear flange of large diameter, would be of value.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an optical fiber terminus is provided that includes a terminus body with a shaft that extends between a pair of shoulders and a helical spring that lies around the shaft between the shoulders, and a method for mounting the spring on the shaft, where the body is a one-piece part and the rear flange has a diameter considerably greater than that of the shaft. The front and rear surfaces of the rear flange each extend at an angle of no more than about 30xc2x0 to a radial direction, as seen in a side view of the body. This allows the spring to be installed by turning it to thread it past the rear flange and onto the shaft.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.